In response, the government will deploy a missile defense system to Guam.

This is to strengthen the Asia-Pacific region against a possible attack.

“We take these threats serious,” said U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel.

Hagel said the U.S. is doing all it can to diffuse the situation with North Korea. But one thing can’t be ignored.

“Some of the actions they’ve taken over the last few weeks present a real and clear danger,” Hagel said.

In response to escalating threats from North Korea, the Pentagon announced Wednesday, it will deploy a missile defense system to Guam. It includes a tracking radar, launcher, and interceptor missiles.

The Pentagon says the defense system being sent to Guam is able to shoot down short, medium, and intermediate ballistic missiles.

This is the latest step the U.S. has taken to counter threats from North Korea.

“If another country has capabilities and make terrible threats and warnings, you can’t ignore them,” said Denny Roy, senior fellow with the East-West Center.

Roy says threats cannot be ignored, but the possibility of North Korea hitting Guam with some type of nuclear weapon is extremely remote. So why is the Pentagon beefing up defenses in Guam?

“Making this announcement now, perhaps serves a political need to tell the people of Guam something,” he said.

He says putting the defense system in place, will take several weeks. But the current situation should be over by then since the U.S. and South Korean military exercises, which this is connected to, will end later this month.

Still, the Pentagon isn’t taking any chances against the threats, including those specific to Hawaii.

“I think we have had measured responsible, serious responses to those threats,” Hagel said.